A Few Thoughts on the Tax Fairness Bill
The Tax Fairness Bill passed the House today (for a second time, this time with the amendment) and is on to Gov. Riley who has indicated he will sign it.
A few thoughts on the subject of tax fairness and the bill, HB292, that passed the Senate last night and the House today.
- Remember the context. We live in a state that currently taxes people in poverty at a rate higher than any other state (PDF file) in the nation. Alabamians at the low end of the income scale pay ALMOST THREE TIMES (PDF file) the rate of what the wealthiest Alabamians pay.
- Of the $60 million dollars in income tax cuts that have just been passed by the legislature, the majority of it goes to workers who make less than $30,000. According to Kimble Forrister at Alabama Arise, about $40 million of the $60 million in tax cuts will go to people who make less than $20,000. That’s a wonderfully decent thing considering these people have been overtaxed for so long and considering that these people do not have political muscle (and these two things are not unrelated).
- A family of four currently pays income tax beginning at $4600 (the lowest threshold in the nation). This has been unchanged for over seventy years.
- Rep. Jeff McLaughlin told us that if landlord-tenant legislation and tax reform pass, it will be a banner year. It’s a banner year.
Today is a good day for people who care about treating people right.
